By Aslam Kakar, Contributor The poetess Cynthia BuhainBaello says, Violence is the mark of brutes, Unthinking, inhuman, brainless. Death and grief are their bitter fruits They are empty of any goodness. The cold New Jersey night of December 13, 2014, feels ever fresh in memory when on the morning of December 14 in Pakistan, six … Continue reading The Dead Pakistani Schoolchildren: Why Were They Killed?→

By Vakhtang Kiziriya, Contributor According to Filofei’s envisioned doctrine, the fledgling Muscovite state was bound to assume the legacy of a failed Rome and Byzantine Empire to become a spiritual and political leader of the world. The mythical concept of the Russian state as the the Third Rome or the messianic Christian Empire rising to fulfill an … Continue reading Russia’s Revival of “The Third Rome”?→

By Christian Hess, Contributor We must always remind ourselves that journalists must not only be able to report on events as they occur, but to also be able to do so without fear for their lives or otherwise. By honoring those like Jamal Khashoggi and sharing his story, we can assure his sacrifice is not forgotten … Continue reading Saudi Arabia and Human Rights: The Killing of Jamal Khashoggi→

By Lillian Hussong, Contributor “Once people begin to believe, at least in principle, in human equality, there is no logical limit to the expansion of human rights and self-determination.” —Martha Finnemore I was one of six graduate students from the Rutgers University Division of Global Affairs who travelled to Norway to attend the 10th annual … Continue reading The Convergence of Activism and Academia at the Oslo Freedom Forum→

By Christian Hess, Contributor Within the first few months of 2017, reports emerged from the Chechen Republic that homosexual men were abducted from their homes. From there, they were sent to make-shift concentration camps where they were beaten and electrocuted. The leader of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov denied these reports. He stated there were no … Continue reading Human Rights Violations of Homosexuals in Chechen Republic→